Canadian cyclist Benjamin Martel handed 2-year ban

Canadian cyclist Benjamin Martel has been handed a two-year ban for a doping violation at the 2011 Quebec provincial road race championships.

The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sports says testosterone was detected from an in-competition doping control test.

Martel exercised his right to a hearing but an arbitrator upheld the ruling last month and imposed the sanction, which will last until August 2013.

Martel raced for Team Spirit Cannondale at the event, finishing 14th.

Martel is the third Quebec cyclist to receive a two-year ban for the presence of a prohibited substance in 2011.